Overview

This bill aims to reform election campaign financing and candidate nominations in the UK. Key changes include increasing the spending limits for candidates in general elections, clarifying the definition of election expenses to include digital advertising and unsolicited communications, abolishing the candidate deposit, and granting the Electoral Commission further powers.

Description

The bill makes several significant alterations to election regulations:

Increased Spending Limits:

The maximum amount a candidate can spend during a general election is significantly raised from £8,700 to £20,000, with associated per-elector spending limits also adjusted.

Definition of Election Expenses:

The definition of election expenses is broadened to explicitly include digital advertising and unsolicited campaign materials (e.g., emails, phone calls, printed materials), providing more comprehensive guidelines on what constitutes allowable election spending.

Abolition of Candidate Deposits:

The bill removes the requirement for candidates to pay a deposit to stand for election.

Electoral Commission Powers:

The Electoral Commission is granted expanded powers to oversee and enforce compliance with the new spending limits and regulations.

Review Mechanism:

A periodic review of the bill's impact on political spending is mandated, with findings to be published regularly.

Government Spending

The bill does not directly lead to increased government spending. The increased spending limits for candidates are not funded by the government but rather represent a change in regulations for campaign finance.

Groups Affected

• Candidates: Experience both increased spending limits and the removal of the deposit requirement.
• Political Parties: May see changes in campaign strategies due to altered spending limits and the inclusion of digital advertising regulations.
• Electoral Commission: Takes on greater responsibility for enforcing the new regulations.
• Voters: Potentially influenced by changed campaign dynamics resulting from the new rules.

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